Hipkins criticises polling coverage but keeps Labour's numbers private

In RNZ's Morning Report interview, the Labour leader predicts a better election result than public polls suggest and points to turnout assumptions.

Channel: RNZ Story of November 4, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of RNZ's most watched videos since yesterday, with 7,050 views.

'Media have lost their minds' - Chris Hipkins | Morning Report

Chris Hipkins says the media are too focused on election polls, but when RNZ's interviewer asks what Labour's own polling shows, he declines to disclose the figures.

"I'm not going to tell you," he says, before asserting that Labour is moving up and National is moving down.

The exchange comes in a Morning Report excerpt that drew about 7,000 views since yesterday. Hipkins, New Zealand's opposition leader, is pressed on public polling from Reid Research and 1News Verian, but offers a prediction rather than a numerical rebuttal: "We are absolutely going to do better than the polls are indicating."

His argument centres on turnout. Polls make assumptions about who will vote, he says, and a high-turnout election can produce a different outcome. He cites previous polling errors in Australia and New Zealand's 2020 election as reasons not to treat surveys as settled results.

The clip opens with his accusation that the media have "lost their minds" over polling. It ends without Labour's internal figures being shared, leaving his confidence on the record but the numbers behind it private.

Published on Trari

Share this story

A ready picture for an Instagram story or a WhatsApp status.

Share the pictureSend the link

×Share the picture

Where next?

More from RNZOn today's chart 6,984 views since yesterdayPeters rules out sacking Laws over comments about womenRNZ's press conference clip begins with accessibility policy before reporters press the NZ First leader on what consequences his candidate will face.Channel: RNZ · Story of November 4, 2026 Also in News networks and broadcastersVideo taking off 70x its usual first dayTalarico, Ossoff and North Carolina's flip run through AP's election-night streamThe Associated Press put its race calls and balance-of-power maps on a single live feed, with cameras inside campaigns in Texas, Michigan and Georgia.Channel: Associated Press · Story of November 4, 2026 A different discovery todayA video worth knowingpenguinz0's AI boyfriend wants coffee first, then runs out of gemsA paid call that ends mid-flirt opens Charlie's 15-minute look at chatbots sold as partners, from poetic Jace to a jealous "Pookie."Channel: penguinz0 · Story of November 4, 2026

Or follow us on Telegram

Is this your channel?For the channel's owners and team: a ready picture and text for your audience

Share the story with your audience. Everything is ready:

For a community post or your channel's description

Hipkins criticises polling coverage but keeps Labour's numbers private The full story on Trari: https://trari.com/en/story/rnznewzealand-26317/?from=kit

Copy the text

The numbers

This Morning Report exchange was RNZ's most-watched new video since yesterday.

subscribers

253,000

▲ 1,000 in the last 7 days

total views

151,552,393

views per day

104,865

typical day: 101,232

the video

views

7,050

likes

131

comments

53

days online

1

subscribers: this channel and similar channels

The Sydney Morning Herald…

270,000

The Globe and Mail

265,000

RTÉ News

256,000

RNZ

253,000

Washington Week PBS

247,000

Royal Exclusive

243,000

As of November 4, 2026 · Data source: Trari Social News, Trari Traffic Trends and Ranking Platform, Google YouTube

Subscriber, view, like and comment counts are YouTube's. Rates, usual days, rankings, comparisons and categories are Trari's own calculations.